Old Mill Museum: Old Fashioned Christmas

Wednesday

Dec 11, 2013 at 2:31 PM

Lindsborg celebrated the Christmas season with the first of two Saturdays filled with family friendly activity.

By Jeremy WebsterStaff Writer

Lindsborg celebrated the Christmas season with the first of two Saturdays filled with family friendly activity. After kicking off the festivities with a parade down Main Street at 10:30 a.m., activities recommenced at 1 p.m. with a series of attractions and entertainment in the Old Mill Heritage Square.Families could build gingerbread houses in the Swedish Pavilion, Listen to “A Shepherd’s Story of Christmas” in the Schoolhouse, and meet Santa Claus and make arts and crafts in the Mill.In the Old Mill Museum, visitors could enjoy the music of Thad Beach & The Hieberts, or take a guided tour of the Old Mill. Santa made a stop at the museum, with free photos courtesy of Walgreens.A variety of art galleries also were open for those perusing the community. Old Mill Museum Assistant Sheila Malm, who was helping children assemble gingerbread houses in the Swedish Pavilion, said Lindsborg was a great place for Christmas.“There are so many things in Lindsborg for families to do together,” Malm said. “I’ve lived here for 14 years, and it just feels like home. We’ve got a lot of volunteers out here today, and it’s good to see the community spirit, especially in 15 degree weather.”Tricia Clark, whose daughters Echo, 5, and Esther, 6, were building gingerbread houses, said despite the cold, everyone was keeping warm with activities.“Lindsborg at Christmas is such a magical time,” Clark said.John Presley, who portrayed the shepherd in “A Shepherd’s Story” in which he told the story of the birth of Jesus Christ, said the event was special.“Kids can do crafts and have some pretty cool experiences,” Presley said. “It’s a really nice low-key event, and I enjoy being a part of it.”Clark said this next Saturday’s Lucia festival would be more exotic and rooted in the community’s Swedish traditions. “Next weekend will be really fun,” Clark said. “This weekend is a bit of a precursor to that. The Lucia Festival is a reflection of how we celebrate our artistic, pioneer and Scandinavian heritage. It’s a wonderful part of our community.”More information on the Lucia Festival can be found at http://lindsborgcity.org/index.aspx?nid=855, and throughout the day into the evening there will be many more activities for families to take part in.

Contact Jeremy Webster by email at jwebster@mcphersonsentinel.com and follow him on Twitter @WebsterSentinel.